With his drama Arang and the Magistrate wrapped, lead star Lee Jun-ki has been keeping busy by giving lots of interviews. And I mean tons. He’s everywhere!

Since Arang was his first project out of military service, naturally this is a common thread in all of the interviews. Lee Jun-ki explained why he picked it, which was one of the first scripts he saw in the consideration process: “It was a pretty unusual drama, and I wondered whether it would seem improbable, or perhaps childish. Would this ‘fairy-tale-like drama’ connect in today’s grim, urgent world? At first, I considered it with indifference. But amazingly, it kept catching my eye. The plot was really fresh and imaginative, and I couldn’t put the script down.”

His attention kept wandering that way, “like I was being drawn by fate.” So he took it on, thinking it could work: “As I filmed, my expectations and desires grew.”

Lee had a hand in shaping his character; he explained how it was his idea to make Eun-oh more of an action star: “At the outset, Eun-oh didn’t have much of an action bent, and I suggested giving him more of that. But after coming back from the army, I found it harder to tackle action shoots. My speed was much slower, and the kicks were harder… That’s why I participated directly in the action direction, because I know my body’s condition better than anybody. I had to do action that I knew my body could handle in order for them to be effective with the audience.”

I found the world and conflicts of Arang inventive and fresh, but the ratings remained stuck in second place. It was up against some stiff competitors, with Gaksital and Nice Guy drawing the bulk of the numbers, and over the course of its run Arang averaged a rating of 12.8%.

That seems a respectable number given the hype of its rivals, but it’s true that low-teens numbers weren’t as high as they’d have liked. Lee said that as a result, he monitored the drama even more closely to see which scenes spoke to audiences more, analyzing the information. Outwardly, he took a more cheerful attitude on set; it’s the responsibility of the stars to set the tone for the production, after all.

He admitted that everyone did feel the disappointment with their ratings, with lots of sighs about how all drama ratings are so low these days. He was grateful, however, that at least they didn’t decrease, given today’s climate where it’s not unheard of for ratings to nosedive into single digits overnight.

He reasoned, “I was able to make more connections by meeting Kwon Oh-joong [Dol-swe] and an actress like Shin Mina, who was professional and threw herself into everything. I could taste what it felt to act. We weren’t able to meet all the expectations in the beginning, but being praised so much about my acting gave me a lot of encouragement.”

It’s interesting that what he felt restricted by is exactly the reason I loved Eun-oh’s character, and found Lee Jun-ki much more appealing than I’d ever found before. He said, “It would be a lie to say there weren’t things about the drama that were disappointing. Because Eun-oh is a gruff type of magistrate, he’s not a very fun personality. As an actor, it was fun to play Yong in Iljimae with his heodang feel. That allows you to act out a wide range of expressions. But the director told me not to act out a lot. I thought that however gruff Eun-oh was, he still has a personality so I started changing his way of speaking and his actions.”

I’m thankful the director had him dial it down, because Eun-oh’s simmering intensity gave the show its pathos, I felt. In fact, the reason I’ve bumped up against Lee in the past was his tendency to overdo the emotion, so it’s a great thing to have a director who knows just how to draw out what you do so well, but stop you short of excess.

Another aspect he felt was disappointing was the reduced romantic-melo angle. He said, “At first I thought it was a romance drama. I’d assured reporters and fans that this time I’d be able to show a real romance…”

But as we know, the drama spent a lot of its focus on the supernatural storyline. “Others felt frustrated as well. As an actor, I tried hard to pour the emotion and love into my acting through the end.”

Frankly, I liked the show’s plot development better the way it was, as opposed to a stronger romantic angle. I wonder whether this is a difference between approaching the drama as an actor versus as a viewer. Lee seems to be eager to immerse himself into roles, and enjoys the process of acting to a palpable degree. So perhaps to him the restraint felt limiting; to me, I loved the result, which felt controlled and in control.

Asked whether he’d consider turning to a conventional melo to fill that disappointment, he said he’s still too young for that: “I was drawn to the drama because it seemed like it would be a moving, ardent love story, but to date I hadn’t considered doing a traditional melodrama. I didn’t have a particular desire for serious melo acting. I’m more drawn to doing dramas that show a lot of different aspects. I’ve begun to feel the fun in doing romances just now, so maybe things will change once I’ve hit my mid-thirties and put on a more masculine air.”

That makes sense, considering his resumé, most of which have a pretty strong mixing of genres and styles. King and the Clown, Iljimae, Time Between Dog and Wolf… He finds it fortunate that he seems to suit sageuk, considering that there’s an elevated chance of success (generally speaking) for sageuk projects that offsets the increased level of difficulty in doing them.

From the very start, Lee was labeled as a “pretty boy” or even “womanly actor,” given his features and probably also his cross-dressing role as Gong-gil in King and the Clown. And okay, there were also his anime haircuts and styling back in the day. (So pretty, but in a vaguely non-human way like something computer-generated out of Final Fantasy.) That role was career-defining for him, and earned him heaps of notice and praise; he explained being driven “to do roles that are more adventurous than safe” because he wanted to test himself.

On the flip-side of that coin, it also fixed that one image of him into everyone’s minds. “In order to overcome the image, I’m trying to build up faith in me as an actor. With each project, I try to change a little. In the end if I can’t deliver that faith in my acting, my image will just become more fixed.”

For example, he credited 2007’s Time Between Dog and Wolf, where he played an NIS agent, with allowing him to shake off the Gong-gil mold. “It was the drama that broke the stereotype that I might not be able to act as any character other than Gong-gil. Since the transformation was vast, it was able to pull down that wall. Rather than thinking of breaking those ideas, it made me think that working hard could make it happen. The public knew me as feminine, but that’s not at all true. That’s why acting as Gong-gil was the most difficult for me. Director Lee Jun-ik told me not to speak, so at the time if you see interviews I don’t say a word. Haha.”

He’d like to play a king someday, he said: “I’d like to play Sejong in Tree With Deep Roots, but at my age I don’t think the audiences would be able to relate. I’m still lacking in experience. I want to give it a try when I’ve matured more. It may not happen soon, but I think I could show that side. The role I most want to try is of Yeonsangun [the Joseon king portrayed in King and the Clown].”

How did you feel before your army release?

“Starting a week before, I couldn’t sleep. The head office said that they expected fans to crowd the area and began making preparations to handle it a week in advance. To myself, I thought, ‘I will have lost a lot of popularity. Will I be set up for a big humiliation?’ I’m glad I went right to work after my release. I felt such pressure, but I was emotionally satisfied and gained confidence.

What has changed from before you served in the military?

“At first, the Actor Lee Jun-ki, Person Lee Jun-ki, and Serviceman Lee Jun-ki kept clashing with each other. And so, I threw myself into army life to an extreme degree. In the evenings when watching TV, my heart would pound as I thought, ‘That’s where I should be…’ I learned how to let that go, and to accept reality. Before the army, I couldn’t drink in open spaces, and I kept my distance from women in case of scandals. I realized, ‘I’d really gone overboard.'”

How was life in the army? How did you spend the time?

“At first, it was difficult to get used to it. I wasn’t used to living in this kind of environment with a gathering of such different people, and every day things would happen that I couldn’t have even imagined might happen, which was confusing. It got better after about three weeks. If anything, I tend to work hard so I immersed myself in it. I did well in shooting and physical fitness, so I was fourth place out of two thousand.”

While you’ve been in the army, you’ve entered your thirties.

“As an actor, it’s not a bad thing to get meaning out of things year by year. My range of roles has expanded, too. When I look at the popular 20-something actors these days like Kim Soo-hyun, Song Joong-ki, Lee Min-ho, and Jang Geun-seok, I think, ‘I don’t think I was that good at that age… they’re good.’ I think we’ll be able to see my Arang co-star Yeon Woo-jin-sshi shine, too.”

How does it feel to return after two years?

“The director and other actors helped me a lot. But I felt uneasy at the thought, ‘I’m the only one changed.’ Thankfully I’m the type of personality to approach others first, so I adapted quickly. I like getting friendly with others quickly.”

If you had to give Arang and the Magistrate a score, what would it be?

“I don’t feel I have the right to give it a score. It was a drama that gave me a lot of worries and pressure, but thankfully the end result was not bad. I’m satisfied. I worried whether I was ready to come out into the cold public and be evaluated, but fans and viewers had a lot of good things to say, so I gained confidence.”

I hear you were the mood-maker on set.

“I’m the type who can’t stay still and acts silly. I would butt in a lot and the staff even asked, ‘Aren’t you tired yet?’ People tell me they expect me to be uptight and feminine, but I’m the complete opposite.”

How was it working with Shin Mina?

“It was good. To be honest, I did worry a lot at the beginning. Arang and the Magistrate was my first time meeting Shin Mina, and from the first day her preconceived idea of me was shattered. I thought she’d be difficult to get to know, so I acted sillier and funnier on our first meeting to break that awkwardness. But she said, ‘Jun-ki-sshi, I’m sorry but if you keep acting this way it’ll be too uncomfortable.’ So I figured that was the wrong tactic and took it slower. [Laughs] Later after we’d become friendly, I found she’s a really good person. Normally actresses tend to only want to show you their pretty sides, and take pains to keep up a refined image, but Shin Mina didn’t have any of that and was easygoing.”

“From our first meeting and through filming, she took a positive approach. Arang isn’t an easy character to play. She has to roll around getting dirty and falling down; it requires her to give up on maintaining her appearance. If she sets out trying to look pretty, the character gets annoying. Mina is strong-minded, so she was a big support and helped me a lot. As an actor, she’s my sunbae.”

“I felt that there was a reason that Mina’s so well-loved. She knows her own weaknesses and tries to improve. I made efforts to become friends with her. Later on as we jelled more with our characters we became more comfortable with each other, and when the script came out late we would discuss among ourselves and work it out together. I’ve seen Mina in a lot of her dramas, but also with her glamorous CF image and wondered whether she’d be very conscious of her body, but she would act very boldly. It was quite fascinating to see that fierce side to her.”

This year, there have been two films to surpass the 10 million tickets mark. How does that make you feel? [The Thieves and Gwanghae, the Man Who Became King.]

“It makes me feel ambitious. Envious. When The King and the Clown passed 10 million tickets back in 2005 it was an uncommon thing, but these days it seems that happens frequently. [Laughs] I’ll have to film a movie soon too.”

The ‘Lee Jun-ki fandom’ seems quite unusual.

“They’re my pride. Before I left for the army, the fandom was unrivaled but these days I think other actors also have large fandoms. Haha. The fandom is faster with news than the office, and they gather information in a large database, so it automatically corrects itself to omit errors. My fandom requests, ‘Please don’t use botox to get rid of age winkles. Don’t do anything to your face. Having wrinkles adds depth to the range of your facial expressions.’ and things like that.”

Do your fans influence which projects you choose?

“For projects, I think of them on my own. I tend to put on a strong act — in the army the person who gave me the hardest moments was myself. I want to do my next project quickly, but before that I’ll have an overseas fanmeeting and a new album as well. I have plans for a photo collection, and I have a lot of ideas, with the concept of showing a masculine vibe now that I’ve come back as a 30-year-old.”

What about dating?

“My response to this question is always the same. Even if I have a girlfriend, I’d say I didn’t, and if I don’t have one I also say I don’t. I have no plans to have a public relationship. Before marrying, I don’t want to let it be known. If everyone knows, it’s difficult for that love to come to fruition.”

Are you good at managing your private life?

“I think so. I don’t go out that much, for one. In the past I wouldn’t drink unless I was in a [private] room, or go to drinking parties with women present. If there were personal events with alcohol present I’d go with my manager. I was really careful. Although these days I don’t do all that. I’ve even signed autographs for fans while drinking in an open location.”

Do you have actors you consider your rivals?

“No. These days there are so many wonderful and good-looking actors, but it’s hard to pick one as a ‘rival.’ What’s for sure is that this year feels like it was kicked off by Kim Soo-hyun, and closed by Song Joong-ki. And Jang Geun-seok is cleaning up in the Hallyu department.”

Asked about his popularity abroad, he said, “I am active overseas, but I’m always asked by reporters about what I consider the downside to being a Hallyu star, and that often takes the wind out of my sails. So I have to get a solid grip on my bearings. Because in that country, people might see a Hallyu star and think, ‘They’re just here to make money. They don’t know gratitude.'”

He seems to be itching to get back to work; just four days after Arang ended, he was reviewing scripts for his next project. He admitted, “Being alone is the most difficult. If I’m by myself, I’m cut off from the energy I receive from others, and it feels like I’m shut in. I tend to feel a lot of loneliness. It was for the first time in the army that I could turn off the TV and go to sleep. When I’m at home, if I turn off the TV I feel a sense of fear.”

So what will he show in the future? He answered, “Mentally, I’m in a good place right now. I’ve come back from the army, and I’m taking in this feeling of the lifted burden. Without losing my stride or my focus, I want to be an actor representative of Korea, an actor who shows his potential. An actor you trust in…”

Anyhooo, I don’t know about you but doesn’t he look manlier in his Magistrate robes? The first picture reminded me of The King and the Clown. If he was a girl, he would be really really beautiful. Even as a man, he’s beautiful…

yeah! they were an awesome couple and it was pretty cool that the romance in Arang was so sutile and sweet, i could relate the way they loved and cared for each other… not in a passionate, obsessive or dependant way like in melodramas.

lol It was because of Arang that I discovered LJK. Many people said that he’s considered as the original ggotminam and I actually wondered why… hahaha Arang really made him sooooo manly that I got the shock of my life when I saw The King and the Clown… my goodness! He’s more beautiful than me! hahaha

I loved the chemistry between SMA and LJK. I had withdrawal symptoms when Arang ended. lol…

….i Knew nothing about this actor before arang and the magistrate….what drew me to him was his manliness….especially his the magistrate’s robes….HOT!!!! he wears them well, wears them well….. so it hard for me to believe he was ever considered a “pretty boy”…..XP never been a fan of that looK… so here’s hoping he continues to challenge himself and taKe of gritty and manly roles!!!

I agree with that. He does sound lonely. One can be alone and not feel lonely but he came across as someone who needs an external source to feel like he’s doing something worthwhile. Hope he finds ways of being happy and content on his own and THEN find someone that complements him

on a positive note, I love it that Korean actors/actresses really take a lot of effort to protect their image. They are role models after all. It’s a sacrifice they are willing to make for the sake of their jobs.

Unlike here in our country where very (very) young actresses get pregnant and they even flaunt it! Actors get arrested for violence and other whatnots and they get even more projects! It’s like the more ex-husband/wife you have, the more projects you get…WTH?

SATOOOOOO!!!!!! i love you oppa!!! <3
It's amazing that he felt restrained with EO's personality, as JV, i actually liked that he was such a rational and well-driven character because it's kind of annoying when characters can't control themselves and act too passionate.
i hope to watch him soon in another project

oh, this makes me a little sad … he is such a hard-working, honest, sincere person … He also expressed that fear of loneliness in JG Style, so it really seems to bug him. “When I’m at home, if I turn off the TV I feel a sense of fear” –> get him a pet, at least!!! Just something, to keep him happy company!!

Love love love him but I think we have seen the best of King Sejong already with Song Joong Ki and Han Suk Kyu. It’s like how I feel about admiral Yi and Kim Myung-Min. As much as I love Uhm Tae Woong I dont think he can top Kim Myung Min’s performance.
“Tree With Deep Roots” is over and done with. Lee Jun Ki find a new project and own it.

Loved him so much in Arang. Eun Oh was such a great character, he kinda made the drama for me. It also sort of made me remember why I had loved him back in the days when I watched My Girl. Arang was amazing, I miss it.

Junki is so awesome and so pretty So far everything I’ve watched with him in it have been loved of course my favourite project is the King and the Clown but! Arang and the Magistrate might have just bumped itself up to tie with it.

What an interesting interview. Those were good questions and unique answers (at least to me). Ever since Arang and the Magistrate, I’ve joined the Lee Jun Ki bandwagon and have been noting his past works. Hopefully, I’ll get time to watch them all. But really, reading his responses…he seems very honest, hard working, and thoughtful person. What really tugged my heartstrings (besides those beautiful eyes) was him talking about his loneliness. I can totally understand that, having that similar experience of pervasive loneliness and needing other people’s energies surrounding me to keep out of it. *sigh*

I really wish Lee Jun Ki the best of luck. May he have more successful projects. I liked Arang and the Magistrate but the ending didn’t do so much for me. It was tad disappointing. Otherwise, I was very much invested in the character Eun Oh.

I’ve only ever seen Lee Jun Ki in Arang, so i don’t know what he’s like off screen or in other dramas. But just from this interview, he seems very serious. It’s interesting hearing him say that since getting back from the army, he feels a bit more able to be seen in less perfect situations. Like drinking in public. There’s nothing wrong with that but the fact that he thought there was, is sad. So i’m glad that the army helped him work out some things.

I do tend to think the army is a good thing for actors and entertainers. It takes them away from the fans and the spotlight, and gives them a chance to be themselves for a while.

he’s already checking scripts for his next project?! YAY!!! btw, i remember reading an article somewhere that he’ll only start dating when he no longer has the drive to work. oh and my shipper heart can’t just ignore his lenghty answer when asked about SMA <3

Some actors seem like they have a life outside of work and have a healthy personal life that feeds their professional life and then, some seem to not have that work life balance as much. That s why I was really glad for joo won that he went into 1n2d cos I hope it will help keep him grounded with all his sunbaes around and it’s like going on a holiday fir him each time, albeit a really hard physical holiday often. As he himself says, it’s a stress reliever whenever he goes on the trips with the 1n2d casts

I think he was just being humble for that statement, because from what I’ve seen, he didn’t have any difficulty doing those action scenes, may be at first when he did the exercise, a bit stiff but then, he did it very good

Thank you! I really enjoyed reading this. Wow, he wanted to play King Sejong in Deep Rooted Tree. Lol. That role was really challenging and I understand why he wanted it.

I love how he complimented Shin Minah. I’ve seen their Arang bts and I was overwhelmed by the amount of things Minah has to do. She waso wires, underwater, fighting ghosts like seriously, she could get injured. She had to come up the roof. She had to do all those. Really professional.

He is a clever, complex and open young man. He seems like an unending source of energy and ideas., acting is a perfect career for just such people.(my children are like this and went to a school filled with people like this. ) I loved arang and I know his next project will be great too.

I believe in you, Lee Jun-ki-sshi! Wow, he seems so down to earth, and it’s obvious that he loves acting, for himself and for his fans! He’s amazing. I am totally a Lee Jun-ki fan now, after Arang and the Magistrate, and I loved his portrayal of Eun-oh. I can’t wait for his next project!

I love his interviews, his answers are always direct and thoughtful, very interesting and honest.
Something very surprising about him is his modesty or should I say lack of confidence? It doesn’t appear much in this compilation of interviews but most of the time he speaks about his flaws first when he’s being complimented and even contradicts those who try to tell him how good he is. I’ve quite never seen that with other actors, and believe me I’ve interviewed quite a lot. I think maybe that’s precisely why he’s so much above the others?… I mean, he’s obviously perfectionist beyond reason, at this level of self-deprecating it’s not even false modesty…
Another thing. I love his performance in Arang and the Magistrate, it’s very moving to see how much this gifted and hard-working actor has matured since his debut. He is so beautiful and touching in this series. I agree the restraint was good for the character of Eun Oh and once again, he finds his own way of expressing complex emotions. But I still love him the most in Iljimae. Not only is the drama a pure marvel, but within the perfectly tuned ensemble cast he delivers a shining, exceptional performance. Such energy and passion until the end, and this subtle melancholy as the doomed masked hero whose eyes tell so much in just one gaze. He takes you by surprise after one third of the series until you realize that he totally owns the drama with his fabulous acting and presence. It’s not only the facial expressions but also the body language, this guy can immerse himself so deep into a character. His action scenes are fantastic in this one (and well-shot). The multifaceted character of Geom/Yong/Iljimae is the closest to what emerges of his personality through interviews and reports along the years. Simply put I mean the combination of cheerfulness and loneliness.
I am so glad this wonderful actor is back. No matter how great some others are, he’s special. Now that he’s succeeded in gaining new fans with this excellent come back, I would really like him to resume movies too, not only dramas. He has to find the right director and project. And the confidence to do it!

am be his twinsoul am born 23/7/1986 1:42 nakornsawan thailand thailand free tv bring my girl series on air again on febuary 2012 and i feel this man can takecare me and suddenly my heart it shock. it feel like stand in lift in frist time of my life. and then i love him when but first time i saw this series i don’t care him. time move am take a look him at his twitter that day jun post he ate b-b-q but before him post i eat same too i know milon people can eat same him but that special over i think if he want to eat i will share with him not 1 time him think same me but 4 time on March that be point make me find what happen astrology can tell if someone know they can understand 10 month i can’t not sleep it not happy that month on febuary 2012 i can meet my soulmate because trinsit mars conjuct my venus yes it can happend every year but that special transit jupiter put on my ascendent and it happend great grand trine about that month am only try to try find it be one answer can tell why people feel love someone twinsoul have mission for show love someone by not have reason yes i can tell everything is happend on my astrology am not crazy jun am on try to find why i feel him somuch i know many people can born this day but they can’t guess his heart you can do if you be twinsoul twinsoul very rare to met there twinsoul and each other can has one twinsoul and brave to tell why i know about this because i had moon conjuct mc i had north node conjuct his sun in aries and his north nod contract with my moon his saturn trine my moon on mc he had venus 11 and my 12 my saturn sextrine his moon his saturn sextrine my uranut and saturn

Wow thanks JB! I don’t remember whether it was The King and The Clown or Fly Daddy Fly when I first saw LJK, I immediately thought he would’ve been perfect if he was the one cast for Kira in Death Note – like he just came straight out of a manga!

In the first episodes of AATM though, I imagined Jung Il Woo would’ve portrayed Sato’s character better *biased. Buuut as the show progressed, I fell for his own portrayal – he’d been more masculine and is growing a lot as an actor, good looking and all.. How great is that he looks up to the best Kings Han Suk Kyu and Jeon Jin Yeong!!

All the best for LJK future projects! And may Yeon Woo-jin-sshi shine, too!

i try to tell him everyday at twitter i can’t do 100,000 fanclub he can’t see me i can’t lost him i will change with my life i know god will protect me it be my mission am be pioneer his life it lock he find who is he i can find